Wilmington’s vacant properties to be converted into affordable homes for artists

Wilmington plans to revitalize vacant, decrepit properties, into vibrant affordable homes where local artists can live and work.

New affordable homes, located in the Quaker Hill neighborhood of Wilmington, will be the city’s first housing development for artists, designed to eliminate vacant housing and provide affordable properties to the creative community.

How do you change a city? Today on Radio Times, we explore urban revitalization through design and creative place-making. We’ll be joined by CARRIE GRAY and LAURA SEMMELROTH of the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation. They’ll discuss plans for a Creative District in Wilmington, Delaware that will transform a neighborhood through the growth and support of the creative community.

Jennifer Lawson joined WRC as their new Marketing Coordinator on July 6.
As a marketing, communications and graphic design specialist, Jennifer’s talents have supported fundraising initiatives, newsletter development, media relations, marketing collateral, web and social media maintenance, as well as special events.

WRC held its fifth Creative Chat on Wednesday, June 10, at the Chris White Gallery that featured special guests Margaret Winslow, Associate Curator for Contemporary Art of Delaware Art Museum, Michael Kalmbach, Executive Director of Creative Vision Factory, and accomplished artist Rick Rothrock. Winslow moderated a discussion with Kalmbach and Rothrock about the history that informed the exhibition Dream Streets: Art in Wilmington 1970-1990. Kalmbach and Rothrock described motivations and processes behind past art projects and how they engaged the Delaware community. Specific projects mentioned include Kalmbach’s involvement with the Kalmar Nyckel mural and Rothrock’s creative projects displayed throughout the Brandywine Zoo.

Creative District Wilmington teams up with SCORE® and Delaware SCORE as they present a free workshop on how to help artists and arts entrepreneurs choose the right path forward in developing their business. The presentation will provide an overview of SCORE’s services and how they can help individuals make strategic decisions about their business. An artist who has been working with SCORE will also share their experience of this kind of support and how it has impacted their work.

PLEASE NOTE LOCATION CHANGE DUE TO WEATHER FORECAST: This event will now be held indoors at the Friends Meetinghouse, 401 N. West Street, Wilmington.

(WRC) and Creative District housing partner, Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware (ICHDE) will host a kick-off event to announce the renovations of the first artist’s housing development for homeownership entitled, Willing Street Artist Village to be held on Tuesday, July 14, 2015at 3pm on Friends Meetinghouse, 401 N. West Street, Wilmington. Governor Jack Markell, Mayor Dennis P. Williams, Delaware State Housing Authority Director Anas Ben Addi, Rick Gessner ICHDE Chair and Capital One 360 Vice President as well as Glenn Moore WRC Chair and Delmarva Power Vice President will be among the guests speaking at the event.